Destinies Surround Us
by Numb3rsfan
Summary: Its 2012. A girl who stumbled upon Nimueh's hideout suddenly finds herself thrown back in time. She knows she doesn't belong but things get worse when Camelot is attacked and the girl herself finds out she has magic. Now she must help to defend Camelot with the rest of its people or die trying, and if she does survive will she ever be able to get back to her own time? -COMPLETE!-
1. Prologue

**Destinies Surround Us**

By

**Numb3rsfan**

Warnings: Angst, possible heavy AU, possible OOC, Violence

Disclaimer: Don't own Merlin, this is just for the enjoyment of the reader.

Author's Notes: I tried doing something like this before and it didn't turn out too well. I keep trying to turn away from it but like a bad penny this idea just keeps popping up, so I write it now. Depending on reception, this may become a series, but for right now its not.

**Summary: Its 2012. A girl who stumbled upon Nimueh's hideout suddenly finds herself thrown back in time. She knows she doesn't belong but things get worse when Camelot is attacked and the girl herself finds out she has magic. Now she must help to defend Camelot with the rest of its people or die trying, and if she does survive will she ever be able to get back to her own time or will she even want to?**

**-Prologue-**

The crunch of gravel under her feet was the only sound that Susanna heard as she looked around the abandoned ruins. She, her parents and her elder brother had taken a vacation from the United States all the way to Great Britain; with stops at Scotland and Wales along the way. The year was 2012 and truth be told this was the second family vacation the family had ever taken.

A few nights ago while she had been trying to sleep Susanna kept hearing her parents arguing. It was the stuff of nightmares really; normally she'd just cover her ears and try to ignore it but because of the thin walls of the hotel room, just trying to ignore it proved impossible. Susanna had then risen up, gotten dressed and left the hotel room. She had just wanted to go away until the arguing stopped but once she had hit the street she started walking and didn't turn back.

That was six nights ago. She had walked and walked, and for a little change of pace she had walked some more.

She had been in a dense forest for the past few days and while the animals that she heard frightened her she pressed on until she found herself standing at a misty shore. Up ahead was an island that appeared to have once housed something grand. Spying a small boat, Susanna had taken it and rowed to the ruins.

Now here she was exploring the place. The cold wind blew, blowing her hair back as she continued to walk. The place looked old; older than the 5th or 6th Century. There were remnants of statues and other blocks strewn everywhere as well as stairs that seemed to lead no where.

Spying a set of stone steps that led downwards, Susanna followed them down in to a small chamber. In the middle of the chamber was what looked to be a stone pedestal which was full of water. The pedestal itself was elaborately adorned with different pictures all along its sides.

Leaning up against the pedestal was a book bound with an unknown type of leather. The book looked like it would fall apart if touched, so Susanna gently picked it up. The book was heavier than it had originally appeared but even so Susanna could feel it crumbling in her hands.

Spying a smooth boulder just steps away, Susanna moved over to it and sat down before she started to gently flip through the book. The pages were filled with a language she didn't know. It wasn't French or Spanish or even Pig Latin. She then thought it was possibly a derivative of Elvish, from J.R.R. Tolkien's _The Lord of the Rings_ series, but after close examination Susanna discovered that the language wasn't even close.

Gently Susanna put the book down as something else caught her attention. On the other side of the pedestal, lying on the ground was a leather bag; the drawstring on the bag was still wrapped loosely around the bag.

Rising, she went over and picked the bag up, opening it up moments later to examine the contents.

To her it looked like nothing more than dust, but it also sparkled. "Some people like the weirdest things…" Susanna mumbled to herself. As she turned to go back to the book a gust of wind entered the chamber, passing over everything including the book. A few pages were ripped away and disappeared in to the darkness. Susanna made to go after the pages but a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her not to.

Shaking she returned to the book and sat down next to it, eying the page that she could see. Taking a deep breath she opened her mouth and began to try and pronounce what was on the paper. It sounded foreign to her and she believed that she was gutting whatever language she was trying to speak. When she finished a low tone caught her attention. The tone got louder and louder until it was loud enough that Susanna had to cover her ears. Then all of a sudden the tone stopped.

Rising, she looked around wondering what could have made the tone. Her eyes fell on the pedestal. The water was moving; displaying pictures that reminded her of a slide projector. The pictures seemed to be moving as if they were alive.

Continuing to watch, Susanna studied the people and images she saw. At first she saw a huge castle with a dragon crest. The dragon was a golden color but the rest of the crest was red. Next she saw an older man wearing a crown. The man had graying hair and a scar over his eye. After that she saw another man. He was much younger than the other one. The young man wore a crown and a red cape. He had dirty blond hair and blue eyes and it looked to Susanna as if he were a man of authority. Finally she saw another figure. This person was a young man with black hair and blue eyes. He wore a blue shirt, red scarf around his neck and a light brown jacket that to Susanna's eyes almost looked like a bright leather brown color.

Slowly she reached out and touched the image. As she did so a blinding flash of light suddenly filled the chamber. The light was coming from the pedestal. It was so bright that Susanna backed away, putting her hands over her eyes to take away some of the pain.

As she backed away she tripped over something and fell back, hitting her head on the rock wall.

As darkness moved in to claim her, a low rumble of thunder could barely be heard.

_['Thunder? The sun was shining when I came down…'] _Susanna thought to herself before she passed out.

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

Awaking from sleep Susanna opened her eyes and sat up. As the room came in to focus, so did the memories.

Rising she dusted herself off and looked around. The chamber was brighter, the pedestal looked cleaner too. Besides this Susanna noticed that the book was nowhere to be found. The bag that she had found earlier was still clutched in her hand though.

Releasing her fingers, Susanna retied the bag and stuck it in her pocket before realizing that instead of the dark black shirt, jeans and black boots she had been wearing, she was now wearing a dark blue dress. The dress was simple; boring even and it looked to have seen better days. Glancing down at her feet Susanna saw that instead of boots she was wearing a simple, ivory colored pair of sandals.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder…" she told herself as she made her way out of the chamber. Outside it was still muggy, dark storm clouds were high in the sky but as of yet it wasn't raining, nor was thunder adorning the sky.

Finding the small boat exactly where she had left it, Susanna used the boat to leave the ruins and return to the main shore. She had had enough. Arguing or no, she wanted to return to her parents and leave Great Britain.

Upon returning to the shore she hiked east for several hours. She was positive that it was the way back to the hotel, but even as she walked nothing looked familiar to her. The trees were greener as was the grass. The air smelled sweeter; more outdoorsy that she remembered.

"It's okay…calm down…don't freak out." She murmured to herself. Inside she was screaming in fright. She had no idea where she was and she had no idea how to get back. She knew the first thing she should do was just stop and wait, but doing that in a freakishly huge forest didn't seem very smart, so she pressed on.

A sound behind her caused Susanna to turn and nearly freak out. It was a large animal unlike any she had ever seen. It was big, it had two feet and two claw like hands; a large tail, a hump on its back that reminded her of bony wings and then there was the face…it was almost lizard like in its ugliness.

The creature and the girl looked at each other for a moment before Susanna started to run. She knew that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do but she wanted to get away from that creature. Susanna didn't even need to turn around to know that the creature was following her; the crashing noises behind her was proof enough for her.

Gulping she started to do the only thing she could; zig zag, hoping that the creature's eye sight was poor enough that he couldn't track her easily. Susanna ran and ran and ran until she was forced to stop at the edge of a dirt cliff. The fall looked to be a bad one and while Susanna was sure the fall wouldn't kill her it would definitely leave her with some broken bones.

Turning back around Susanna backed up against a tree as the creature approached her, its long tongue hanging out, dripping with saliva. Trembling, Susanna tried to slow her breathing, knowing that this was the end. She didn't want to die like a coward but in the face of such a creature…

Susanna closed her eyes and shielded her face with her arm. Just when she thought the creature would jump on her, she heard the creature roar in pain. Lowering her arm Susanna saw an arrow sticking out of its side. All of a sudden all hell seemed to break loose because there were men wearing some sort of metal, as well as red cloaks rush out of the trees, swords held high.

In shock and fright Susanna lowered herself to the ground as the creature turned to fight against the red cloaked men. Shaking almost uncontrollably what happened next seemed to go by in a flash. One minute the creature was alive and charging at the group, the next a man with dirty blond hair stepped up and thrust his sword in to the side of the creature, killing it instantly.

Seeing the creature hit the ground, Susanna began to hyperventilate with fright. She was still shaking, still not believing what had just happened.

"Calm down, we're not going to hurt you."

Gulping, Susanna forced herself to look up at her savior's, especially the one that had spoken. As she studied the man with the dirty blond hair she realized that it was the same man she had seen in the pedestal before the light had blinded her.

Smoothly the man took his sword back, wiped it off and re sheathed it before approaching the frightened girl.

"Are you alright?" The man asked.

Slowly Susanna forced herself to nod her head a little, even though she was still shaking violently.

The man seeing her shake took off his red cloak and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders.

"It's okay you are safe now. Can you tell me your name?" The man asked.

The cloak that the man had put around her shoulders was soft and warm; almost like a comforting hug or a handshake. Closing her eyes, Susanna forced herself to calm down a little so she could answer the man's question. Opening her eyes again she looked at the man once more before she whispered, "I'm…Susanna."

"Well Susanna, I am Prince Arthur," Arthur began, but upon seeing the girl's face he decided to elaborate more, "…of Camelot?"

The word Camelot flew over Susanna's head for a moment before the reality of her situation came down on her like a lightning bolt. Camelot wasn't supposed to be real, and she had highly doubted that King…wait a minute…he said 'Prince' right? How could this Prince Arthur be real?

Susanna started shaking again. "No…No!" she said. She couldn't control herself. This just couldn't be happening! She was hyperventilating again as she tried to get away from Arthur who just looked at her quizzically.

"We're not going to hurt you!" Arthur called after her.

Susanna dropped the cloak and turned to run before walking right in to another person. This person seemed to be a year or two older than her. He had dark hair, blue eyes and he was wearing a brown jacket, blue shirt and red scarf he was…

Eyes going as big as saucers Susanna took a step backwards away from the newcomer before falling to the ground. She felt hands all around her, trying to catch her but apparently she had fallen too fast.

As darkness began to close in all around her she vaguely heard Arthur say, "Come on, we need to get her back to Camelot."


	2. Calm Before the Storm

**-Chapter One-**

Susanna opened her eyes. As the room slowly came in to focus she found that she was in a room that looked like it could use a good spring cleaning. There were books and other objects along the walls and on bookshelves. There were barrels stacked up against a far wall as well. She also saw a wooden table with chairs, something that looked like a fireplace, and something that resembled a work bench.

Sitting up she looked to her right and saw a small flight of stairs that ended in a closed wooden door; another room obviously.

"Well! You are awake I see. How do you feel?"

Jumping in fright, Susanna looked to her left to see an elderly man with shoulder length hair approach her.

"Who…who are you?" Susanna asked once the man had made his way over and sat down on the corner of her bed.

Even though she was scared, she held still as the man checked her over. Finally he replied, "My name is Gaius. I am the Court Physician here in Camelot. Now, how do you feel?"

"I feel…a little weak and…queasy." Susanna said, actually taking the time to listen to what her body was trying to tell her. Truth be told she felt as if she had just gotten sick a few hours ago before because she felt weak and her muscles seemed to tremble ever so slightly.

Seeing Gaius raise an eyebrow, Susanna replied, "What?"

"Queasy?" Gaius asked.

"Nauseous. I feel weak and nauseous." Susanna replied. Okay she had to remember that and remember to speak plainer for these people. She had no idea what words they had heard before and what words they hadn't. She knew they would have no idea what a cell phone or a computer was. Hell…even electricity hadn't been invented yet!

Susanna watched Gaius stand up and grab a small, brown glass and fill it with some water. Walking back over he handed the glass to her.

"Drink that, it will help with the nausea." Gaius said.

Nodding, Susanna put her lips to the glass and allowed a little of the room temperature liquid to flow in to her mouth. She grimaced at the taste.

Oh yeah…no doubt about it. It was well water. She could taste all of the different bacteria and minerals that were normally found in well water.

_["Was I that spoiled on city water?"]_ Susanna questioned herself as she forced herself to swallow the small amount of water that was in her mouth.

Gaius had seen her grimace and quickly asked if the water was alright.

"It's uh…a little warmer than I expected." Susanna lied. She didn't want to hurt Gaius' feelings so she forced herself to down the water.

Right after she had finished the cup and handed it back to Gaius, a groan sounded behind her.

Looking to her right she saw that the wooden door was open and a young man was coming down the small flight of stairs. Susanna recognized the young man as one of the men who had found her in the forest.

"Merlin."

Susanna watched Merlin stop in his tracks at the bottom of the stairs when Gaius spoke his name.

"Be sure to tell Arthur that…" Gaius paused, trying to remember the name he had been given.

Merlin looked at the girl and for a brief moment he and Susanna made eye contact, but just as quickly as it happened, it was over.

"Susanna." Merlin said at the exact moment in time when Susanna spoke her own name.

It was in unison; even down to the tone the name was spoken.

Merlin glanced at Susanna who just seemed to shrink a little in the cot she was lying in.

"Merlin, be sure to tell Arthur that Susanna is awake." Gaius said. Merlin nodded his head, smiled at both Gaius and the girl before leaving the room.

After watching him go Susanna asked, "Who was that?"

"Merlin. He's the personal servant to Prince Arthur." Gaius said as he moved to the fireplace and stirred something that was on the 'burner.'

"Is he your son?" Susanna asked.

"No. He is my nephew." Gaius replied.

Susanna watched Gaius dip something out of a large pot and place it in to a wooden bowl. She watched him grab a spoon and then bring the dish and utensil over to her.

"What is it?" Susanna asked once she saw what was in the bowl. It vaguely looked like oatmeal only lumpier and whiter, with something that looked like bread chunks aligning its surface.

"Porridge. You need to eat something if you want to regain your strength." Gaius said. Keeping the disgusted look off of her face Susanna accepted the bowl and utensil. Dipping the spoon in the glop, she brought it to her mouth and took the smallest of bites. Surprisingly the porridge wasn't that bad; a little too sweet but surprisingly it did taste a little like oatmeal!

Once she finished her meal Gaius helped her off of the cot and helped her get dressed. The clothing that she had worn before was gone; 'ripped to shreds' according to Gaius, so someone named Gwen had brought in a simple light blue/white apron dress. The torso and back were light blue and the arms were white. Beside the dress were a pair of tan flats.

No sooner had she finished getting dressed than Merlin returned, stating that he would take her to see Arthur. Susanna was very nervous but tried her best to not let that show. Taking a wild guess that openly refusing to see the Prince (or worse, the King) wouldn't bode well for her future, she nodded her head and followed Merlin out of the room

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

Susanna stood as still as she possibly could. She held her hands clasped together in front of her as she kept her gaze fixed on the table that Prince Arthur was sitting behind, or on the floor.

Merlin had done what he said; taken her to see Prince Arthur, but what he didn't tell her was that Prince Arthur was still in his room.

Prince Arthur was seated behind his desk, several papers and a quill on the desk in front of him. He was wearing a slightly bleached looking red shirt with long sleeves, black pants and tan boots that looked as if they had seen some wear.

"You can relax…no one in Camelot is going to hurt you." Arthur said, noticing how tense the girl before him was.

Susanna forced herself to relax and offer up a small smile. She wasn't worried about that; she was more worried about what the hell she could tell the Prince! It wasn't like she could tell him the truth, having a feeling that admitting she was from the future wouldn't go over to well with him. If she couldn't tell him the truth, what could she tell Arthur that would pacify his curiosity?

"Can you tell me where you are from and what happened to you?" Arthur asked.

Susanna swallowed. Where she was from. No way in hell could she tell Arthur she was from the United States of America. That wasn't even in existence yet and wouldn't be for hundreds of years more! Taking a deep breath she told herself that she would have to lie and lie she did!

"I…I don't remember…Sire. I've been on my own ever since I was a child. I suppose I never knew when to stop wandering. I came down from the mountains and entered the forest and after walking for several days I thought I'd never find the end. That's when I came face-to-face with that thing in the forest." Susanna said.

"Yes, the Cockatrice. You were lucky to have survived the encounter." Arthur said.

"I am grateful to you, Sire…to the both of you," Susanna began, glancing at Merlin for the briefest of moments before looking back at Arthur, "and to your men. You all saved my life."

"We saw you were in need of help." Arthur replied.

Susanna smiled a little in thanks and nodded her head a little. The conversation or lack there of was starting to get on her nerves a little. She absolutely hated conversations like these, especially when the pauses were so long she thought she could hear crickets chirping in between them.

Arthur seemed to see how uncomfortable he was making the girl so he said, "You may go, but I want you to know that you can stay here in the castle for as long as you need to, as my personal guest."

"Thank you Prince Arthur." Susanna replied, bowing slightly before leaving the room.

Once she was gone Merlin took a look at Arthur's face. "You like her don't you." Merlin said.

Arthur who had been staring at the closed door of his bedroom ever since Susanna left, slowly if not lazily looked at his man servant, giving Merlin an annoyed look.

"What? She is cute." Merlin said, ducking seconds later when a paper scroll was chucked at his head.

"Merlin, she is just a kid. No more than sixteen years old at least! She's way too young and besides…" Arthur paused, thinking of Guinevere for a moment. Catching Merlin's knowing look Arthur turned and glared at him. "Don't you have something better to do?" he asked.

"Like?" Merlin asked.

"Like cleaning my armor." Arthur said.

"Did that." Merlin replied.

"Sharpening my sword." Arthur said.

"That too."

"Wash my clothes."

"Done."

"Clean my room."

"Did that too."

"Muck out the stables!" Arthur finally said, a little exacerbated.

"Arthur…I did that two hours ago." Merlin said.

Arthur growled deep in his throat. He wanted to be alone to think and Merlin obviously didn't understand that concept!

"Do it all again!" he roared.

Merlin was curious to know where all the anger was coming from so he just bowed his head and left Arthur's quarters.


	3. Rooftop Discussions

After being dismissed, Susanna looked for a place, any place that she could hide and think.

Not wanting to be heard even by accident she slowly found her way to the top of the inner walls of the castle. Even though the stone walk way was guarded, the guards let her pass without even so much as a warning.

Finding a place near the back of the castle that wasn't guarded, Susanna approached the edge and leaning against the stones, she looked out at the vastness that was the kingdom of Camelot. It was beautiful, more beautiful than she could possibly imagine but even when she thought that she realized that it was also foreign; dangerous even for her to be there. She didn't belong in Camelot any more than Arthur (or Merlin for that matter) belonged in the year 2012. It was at that moment that she truly missed her parents and would have given anything to see them again.

Sniffling a little, Susanna allowed a few tears to roll down her cheeks. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone was going to see her cry.

"Are you alright?"

Susanna recognized the voice almost immediately, so acting quickly she wiped the tears from her face and turned around to face Merlin who was standing behind her, a somewhat concerned look on his face.

Merlin was concerned about the girl; this much was true. He felt her pain as if it were his own and for some strange reason he felt a need to comfort her. He had only felt this way one other time; with Freya. He had loved her and was even planning on going away with her but it wasn't to be, and she died in his arms at the Lake of Avalon. When Freya had died Merlin had told himself that he would never love anyone as much as he had loved her but now as he stood before Susanna he could feel something for her, even though deep within his heart he knew he shouldn't.

Merlin approached Susanna, leaning up against the stonework to look out at the kingdom of Camelot. Susanna turned back, resuming her previous position as she too feasted her eyes on the land.

"Camelot is a beautiful kingdom." Susanna said.

"Yes. I'm sure that when Arthur is crowned King it will be even better." Merlin said.

Merlin glanced at Susanna and saw the tears that threatened to come trickling down her face. He could tell that she was really hurting over something; he just wished he knew what that something was.

Gaius had told him before that he always tried to see the good in people and it wasn't until now that he finally saw that Gaius was right.

"Are you missing home? Missing your family?" Merlin asked. He was hoping that Susanna would take the bait in her answer. He knew she had been lying to Arthur but at least he knew when not to speak. He didn't want to get her thrown in to the dungeon or the stocks for lying.

"Yes. I miss my home…my parents…even Cassie. The way things are going I don't think I'll ever see them again." Susanna replied, not looking at Merlin.

She paused for a moment before going pale. She had just admitted she had a family when she had told Arthur (to his face) that she had no family or home.

"I..I mean…!" She became flustered, taking a few steps back from Merlin who stood up straight and watched her. He could tell that she was scared that he would tell Arthur the truth.

Reaching out a hand, palm outward he smiled and said, "Its okay. I'm not going to tell."

Gulping, Susanna looked all around her making sure no one had heard. She didn't want to make a scene and raise everyone's suspicions so she slowly returned to her place beside Merlin.

"How…did you know I was lying?" Susanna whispered softly, eying the ground below.

"I could tell; the way you held yourself, the way you looked at everything else but Arthur." Merlin said.

"Oh…" Susanna said.

"Don't worry though; I'm sure Arthur didn't catch on. He is going to make a great King but when it comes to some things, he's not the brightest apple in the barrel." Merlin said.

Susanna smiled and chuckled a little. "I bet Arthur would kill you, raise you from the dead and kill you again for saying that." She said.

"Probably, or he'd put me in the stocks and have the people in the Lower Town through rotten vegetables at me." Merlin replied, shivering a little at the oh so fond memories.

"Why did you lie to him?" Merlin asked once the moment had passed. He looked at Susanna who hung her head for a second. Finally she raised her head again and took a deep breath.

"I couldn't tell him the truth. He'd never believe it. If it hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't have believed it either." Susanna replied.

"What? Do you have magic?" Merlin asked.

"No," Susanna shook her head. Finally she looked at Merlin, trying to see if she could actually trust him. "I'm from the future."

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

The area around them was quiet as Susanna studied Merlin's face, waiting for his answer. She had just told him that she was from the future. It seemed preposterous even to her but she knew it to be true.

Merlin for his part smiled and shook his head, thinking that she was playing a joke but when he saw the seriousness on her face and the look of sadness in her eyes he knew she was telling the truth.

"You are serious." He said, the smile falling from his face.

Sniffling a little, Susanna nodded her head. "I was born in 1989. If we were in the current year that'd make me 23. I'm from a place in the western hemisphere known as the United States of America; something that won't exist until the mid 1700's." she said.

Merlin was quiet for a moment, trying to take it all in. This girl was so serious in everything she said. It was hard to believe but the way she said it and the look on her face…!

"How did you end up in this time if you were from the future as you say?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know." Susanna replied, glancing at Merlin for a moment before looking away, "I ran away from my parents because they were arguing; something they normally do. I ran away and I kept running. Eventually I came to this misty lake. Just visible through the mist I saw what appeared to be some type of ruin so I took a boat and went to take a look. The place was a mess; stones and moss everywhere but I did find a chamber. There was a beautiful pedestal with intricate designs in the middle of the room; an old leather bound book and a leather bag that held some type of dust. I took the book and opened it; most of it fell apart but there were a few pages that remained. I tried to read one of the pages but I didn't know the language. I remember looking at the pedestal. There were images in it…they were moving. I saw Camelot and the crest of Camelot. I saw you and Arthur and the king as well. There was this high pitched tone and a flash of light and then I…I guess I fainted. When I woke up I was still in the chamber so I left and went back to the main land. Shortly after I ran in to that beast and well…you know the rest."

"I believe you." Merlin said once Susanna had finished. Susanna smiled but rolled her eyes a little as she looked at Merlin.

"No you don't, you are just saying that to be nice." She said.

"No, I mean it. I too know what its like to carry a secret; something that you can never tell anyone." Merlin said.

"That you have magic." Susanna said. She then clamped her mouth shut as Merlin paled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that…it just slipped out!" Susanna proclaimed. Now it was her turn to put an arm out to stop Merlin from stumbling back in shock.

"Believe it or not the legend of King Arthur and his sorcerer friend Merlin are known to quite a few people. Many believed; me included mind you, that it was all just a myth; a bed time story. But now…you are living proof that the stories…everything is real!" Susanna said.

Merlin swallowed, having no idea what to say to that statement. The Great Dragon had said his was a great destiny and apparently it must have been if people many years in the future knew who he and Arthur were.

"You mustn't tell anyone, especially Arthur or the King. Magic is banned in Camelot. Anyone caught using magic is sentenced to death." Merlin said.

"Don't worry…your secret is safe with me." Susanna said.

"MERLIN!"

The voice of Prince Arthur echoed downstairs and it was so loud that the two of them heard it. Susanna saw Merlin flinch which caused her to smile, but only just.

"Better go before he breaks out his sword and does a little target practice." Susanna joked.

Merlin gave Susanna a look that told her that what she had said wasn't funny before he turned and headed back inside.


	4. Preparations

A week had slowly passed in the kingdom of Camelot. True to his word Arthur had allowed Susanna to stay in the castle and no one, not even Uther had intervened. Susanna had spoken to Merlin each and every day and despite every fiber in her being telling her it was wrong, she was actually starting to like him.

She was in the stables helping Merlin brush and water the horses. Merlin, Arthur and several knights had returned from a hunting trip only a few hours before and after a hasty meal Merlin had been sent to look after the horses. Susanna had seen him in the corridors of the castle and they had gotten to talking as Merlin had led the way to the stables.

"This is Lenya. She's Prince Arthur's horse." Merlin said as he finished brushing the dark colored horse which whinnied when he stopped brushing, "and this is Lillith. She's the one that Arthur lets me use."

Susanna nodded her head, studying Lillith closely. She was light brown with a gentle look to her features. Her legs were slim yet strong; a perfect charger.

"What about the little one?" Susanna asked, pointing to the colt that was lodged at the end of the stables.

"He hasn't been named yet. He was only born yesterday." Merlin said, glancing at the colt for a moment.

Walking over to the colt Susanna saw that it had a glossy dark reddish brown tint in its coat. It had white socks on its two front legs and two tan socks on its back legs.

Smiling, Susanna reached out a hand and gently stroked the colt's mane.

"I've got the perfect name for you little one…" She whispered, "Denny."

Unbeknownst to her Merlin had walked up right behind her when she had whispered the name to the horse.

"That's a strong name." Merlin said.

Susanna jumped almost a mile high which caused Merlin to break out laughing. Putting a hand over her heart, Susanna glared at Merlin before playfully shoving him a little.

"Don't _do _that!" she exclaimed, breathing hard.

"Sorry!" Merlin said, chuckling, "I couldn't help it!"

Merlin's laughter was infectious and soon after Susanna herself was chuckling. After a few minutes the two of them managed to calm down long enough so Merlin could get back to work.

"Merlin…I…need to tell you something." Susanna began. She watched Merlin nod his head and glance at her, the universal sign for 'go ahead.'

"Last night I had a dream. I dreamt I was in a great battle, fighting along side you and Arthur. Merlin…Camelot was overrun and everyone was destroyed! I saw you and Arthur fall in the throne room." Susanna said. The tone in her voice told Merlin that she was upset so he stopped brushing Lillith and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it was just a dream. Okay?" he said, trying to be reassuring.

"It wasn't the dream that frightened me, Merlin…okay yes the dream itself was a little disconcerting but when I woke up I saw a sword and shield floating in mid air! I jumped up with a small shout and the sword and shield fell to the floor. I remember I didn't want the noise to wake everyone up. I remember looking at the bed and then all of a sudden the sword and shield flew over and landed on the bed. At first I thought someone was playing around so I looked around but no one was there. I then tried to lift the sword using my mind…" Susanna said.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Merlin asked, already knowing what she was about to tell him.

"I…I think I have magic!"

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

Merlin and Susanna stared at each other in silence. Merlin had a serious if not brooding expression to his face and Susanna had a look of absolute terror on her face. Finally Merlin broke the silence by saying, "I thought you said you didn't have magic."

Susanna shook her head and shrugged a little. "Where I come from I didn't! I was as normal as you and Arthur…wait…sorry." She began, stopping when she realized her mistake, "when I came here I thought I was the same; just an ordinary girl thrust in to a time that is not her own! Last night…it was the first time I thought I might be different."

Right in front of him Merlin saw the small brown brush rising in the air of its own accord.

To him it was clear that Susanna had no control whatsoever of her new found ability and that could prove to be a problem.

"We need to be careful," Merlin said, grabbing the brush from the air, "It's obvious you don't have any control over it and that can become a dangerous problem very quickly. I'll teach you how to control it and then later on how to use it properly."

Susanna looked relieved, grateful even that Merlin was going to teach her how to use her new found ability and not risk exposure every second of every day.

Suddenly the stable doors flew open. Merlin and Susanna looked towards the doors in time to see Prince Arthur and Sir Leon stride in. Prince Arthur had a look that bordered on anger, fear and worry all rolled in to one.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, wondering why his friend looked so worried.

Once he was just a few steps in front of his man servant Arthur stopped and fixed both Merlin and Susanna with a look that neither of them could understand.

Finally Arthur said, "Camelot's outer villages are under attack by an unknown force. Survivors say that the attackers were mist like creatures."

"What…ghosts?" Merlin asked. If someone had conjured up ghosts then he had a feeling that it was going to take a heck of a lot to stop them.

"That's not all. I've received reports of an army massing beyond Mercia. Lord Bayard denies the allegations but…" Arthur paused.

"You don't believe him." Merlin finished.

Behind Arthur and Sir Leon, Merlin saw a bag of feed raise in the air; small seeds dripping from a rip in the top of the bag.

It took all of his strength not to glance at Susanna whom he could imagine was shaking like a leaf in fright.

That guess was not far from the truth! When Arthur had spoken, Susanna had become fearful for her friends. She felt as if she should do something to protect them and then all of a sudden the bag of feed rose up and then it was all she could do to keep it in the air and not let it drop!

"I can't afford to take that chance. These…mist creatures whatever they are will be here by nightfall and the other army will arrive a day later. I need you to assist Gwen and the others; make sure we have enough food and other supplies to withstand the onslaught." Arthur said.

Merlin nodded his head before glancing at the bag of feed that was still in the air.

"Well?" Arthur asked when Merlin didn't move.

In fright Susanna lost control of the bag and let it fall but just before it would have hit the ground a servant calling for Arthur got his attention long enough for Merlin to use his powers to catch the bag and place it on the floor, back in its original position.

Not waiting to be told twice, Merlin bowed once more out of respect and then left the barn, Susanna following a moment later at Arthur's request.


	5. Attack on Camelot

Nighttime fell quickly over Camelot. Merlin, Susanna, Gwen and every commoner pitched in to make sure the city was well supplied and that weapons could be reached in a crisis. Now Susanna was in her room, looking through the window in to the pitch dark. Arthur had requested that she remain in her room for safety and even though she didn't want to, she didn't want to be locked in her room either so she had agreed to stay put.

She had no idea where Merlin was, probably wherever Arthur was. Merlin had promised to help her but with all of the goings on he had never had a chance. Luckily she had had no more accidents so no one knew of her ability except Merlin and that's the way she wanted it.

Going to her cupboard she opened it up and withdrew a dark red cloak; something Gwen had given to her earlier, and wrapped it around her thin shoulders. It was comfortable if not cold due to the fact that she had just put it on.

A scream from outside drew Susanna back to the window and after glancing outside she saw that the battle was now underway. Wisps of what looked like smoke or mist swept down on soldiers, picking them up and throwing them back or over walls while others tried to fight the mist off with swords and torches.

Gulping, Susanna stood frozen in terror as she watched everything unfold below. Suddenly she saw Prince Arthur using a torch like a baseball bat. He was rushing along the wall towards a cluster of the ghost like mist that was torturing a poor soldier. Behind Arthur; also carrying a torch was Merlin. Even though she couldn't see his face she recognized the young man from his clothing.

"Merlin!" She called out, already knowing that it would be impossible for him to hear her.

She watched Arthur scare away the mist and grab the soldier, passing him to Merlin who grabbed the wounded man's arm. All of a sudden the mist swarmed around the three men, engulfing them.

Susanna let out a small scream of fear, searching in vain for Merlin and Arthur, but there was nothing to be seen in the mist that had consumed them.

The scream of a woman from within the castle caused Susanna to shiver and turn around to face her closed door. She could tell that the woman was screaming in terror about something but even as Susanna's mind raced she could hear more screams coming from within the castle.

The mist had made its way inside. That was all there was to it. Camelot was being over run!

Swallowing she went to her door and opened it to find people running every which way down the hall.

Glancing to the left Susanna spied Gwen who was running towards her; a worried look on her face.

"You have to run! They are coming!" Gwen said quickly, glancing back the way she had come. Just as she did so a shroud of mist came around the corner and was slowly floating its way towards them.

"The torches hold them back but not for long!" Gwen said, panic finally setting hold of her once more as she ran off.

Shaking in fear Susanna looked at the mist for the briefest of moments before she took Gwen's advice and ran. She could feel the mist following her but thankfully it wasn't catching up.

Running down a flight of stairs she just missed running in to a passing knight. Glancing back she saw the mist floating down the stairs.

_["A torch! I need a torch!"]_ Susanna told herself as she ran on, but sadly no torch could be found. In a castle as big as Camelot, all of the torches had already been taken by others.

She made her way down in to the depths of the castle until she found herself in the cave that had once housed the Great Dragon.

"If there was ever a time I needed a fire breathing dragon its right now." She murmured to herself.

Going down the steps that led to the broken chain link that had once contained the Dragon, Susanna stopped. She knew that she could go no further. All she could do was hope and pray that the mist didn't come down, but after several minutes her hopes were dashed. She felt the cold stab of despair overtake her when the mist entered the chamber and floated towards her.

A tear ran down her cheek as she envisioned a flame shooting out of her hand and engulfing the mist but no such thing happened. Slowly she backed up against the rock, shut her eyes and placed her arm across her face as the mist smoothly engulfed her.

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

Merlin slowly returned to the land of the conscious but when he did he quickly jumped up, regretting it moments later when a wave of dizziness came over him. He felt absolutely drained and sick, as if he had just gotten over a high fever. Lying on the ground not four steps away was Prince Arthur. His face was grey, his lips were blue and his eyes were closed.

Dropping down to the ground next to him Merlin placed a hand to the Prince's neck, checking for a pulse. Relief flooded through him when he felt one. It was slow and weak but it was there. A noise from behind him caused Merlin to look up; the smile on his face broadening when he saw Gaius, Gwen and several others exit the castle bearing stretchers.

"Over here!" Merlin called, waving them over.

He waited until they were close by before he rose up and quite literally hugged Gaius.

"How many survived?" Merlin asked as Gaius knelt down next to Arthur.

"Fifty made it to safety before the mist hit." Gaius replied. He too checked Arthur's pulse and his pupils before having two servant boys place him on the cloth stretcher.

Lifting as one the servant boys headed for the make shift medical center that Gaius had set up in the council chambers.

"Gaius, what about Uther and the girl?" Merlin asked, following along after his master.

"Uther was one of the first ones to arrive at the safe house," Gaius said. The safe house being the pre specified room that was aligned with burning torches that would last the night, "but Susanna never arrived. Gwen told me she saw her in her room but that was the last she saw of her. I never thought you cared as much for her as you do for Arthur."

"I do. I tried not to but I do. I can't explain it. It's like…a heaviness in my chest when I don't know where she is." Merlin said.

Gaius smiled a knowing smile at that. "Is it because you more than care for her?" he asked.

"You mean…love her? Gaius I've only known her for seven days." Merlin shot back. _["Besides,"]_ he thought to himself, _["I promised myself I'd never love another like I loved Freya."]_ even as he thought that he couldn't deny his feelings for Susanna. Maybe he was falling for her and didn't even really realize it.

"God created the world in less time than that." Gaius replied, reminding Merlin of the Bible story about the world's creation.

He had heard the story to be true but he was on the fence about the validity of it. But, now was not the time to argue about it with Gaius. Now was the time to make a choice.

"I need to stay with Arthur but…" Merlin began as they entered the council chambers, "Go look for her. Arthur won't be awake yet for a few more hours at least." Gaius said.

Merlin gave a small grin to his friend and mentor before he left the room. Gaius meanwhile cast a look at Arthur's still body.

_["If he wakes at all."] _the old physician said to himself.


	6. Remembrance

**-Chapter Five-**

Merlin arrived at Susanna's room in record time. He found the door open and the room empty which led him to believe that she had left her room during the battle. For the next two hours Merlin searched the castle from top to bottom without so much as a whisper as to where she had gone. He was then about to check the outside grounds when something made him stop and turn around.

Yes, there was one other place he had yet to look. But, the odds of her being down there…

Grabbing a torch off of the ground Merlin marched his way down to the catacombs underneath Camelot.

When it became too dark to see, Merlin held the torch out in front of him and said "Leohtbora!" All of a sudden the torch came to life, casting a brilliant glow on the stone walls around him.

Treading his way carefully down the stone steps, Merlin at last arrived in the cave that had once housed the Great Dragon; that is until he had set the mighty beast free.

Shining his torch all around the immediate area Merlin didn't find a thing so he carefully went down the stone steps that led to the base of the rock that had been used as the Dragon's perch; it was also where the chain had been attached to the ground.

There at the very foot of the rock Merlin could just barely see a shape in the gathering dark. Approaching the shape, Merlin squinted and could just make out that the shape was a body. Quickening his steps he arrived beside the body and after kneeling down beside it, he turned the body over on to its back to reveal the face of the person.

Merlin fell down on his butt in shock when he first laid eyes on the face of Susanna. Her eyes were closed; her face deathly pale and her lips were blue. Not only that but all of her veins were taking on a black color as if her blood were being transformed or something.

Slowly he checked for a pulse, relief washing through him when he felt it.

"It's okay, I'll get you to Gaius." Merlin said. He put the torch down and then picked her up. While it would make the going slow, Merlin couldn't afford to take the torch and risk burning his precious cargo.

As he started back up the stairs a low moan echoed throughout the chamber.

"Merlin?"

Glancing down Merlin could just make out Susanna's open eyes in the darkness.

"It's okay, just hang on. I'm taking you to Gaius." Merlin said.

"S'cold…" Susanna murmured, closing her eyes once more. Merlin knew she was cold, to him she felt like death itself, but he wasn't going to give up on her. He was determined to see her safely to Gaius.

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

Merlin had done what he had set out to do. He had delivered Susanna to Gaius, so now all he could do was wait. He was waiting in his own way by helping Gaius track down medicines and herbs he needed to treat the fallen, as well as check on Arthur's condition. When King Uther had learned that his son had fallen he had rushed to the council chambers in a panic, fearing that his son was dead. That was over eight hours ago and when Merlin glanced at the King, it was clear that he wasn't going to leave his son's side for anything. In fact, Uther had more or less decreed that the only two that would even get close to treat his son was Gaius and Merlin; Gaius because he was the court physician and Merlin because, well he was Gaius' helper, not to mention Arthur's man servant. Sometimes being the man servant to a Prince had its little quirks!

One day slowly turned in to two days, and two in to three and still the supposed army massing near Mercia didn't show their faces. Some were beginning to whisper thoughts that this 'army' wasn't real and that they were safe, but Merlin didn't think so. He had seen the look on Arthur's face and believed the army to be real. He could only guess the reason why they had held back from attacking Camelot. Surely the city would have been an easy victory if they had already attacked. Camelot would have fallen within a matter of hours. Maybe that was it? Maybe the army captain wanted a little bit of a challenge?

On the fourth day Arthur finally woke up. He was still pale but after a few hours that quickly dissipated. All throughout the fourth day Arthur and all of the other knights, people of the royal household and all the commoners that had been struck down thanks to the mist army were all conscious, talkative and gaining strength quickly. All that is except for Susanna. By all accounts she was getting worse. Her skin had taken on a deathly grey color, her lips were a dull whitish grey and the veins all over her body were very pronounced and black looking.

On more than one occasion Gaius had told Merlin that there was nothing he could do for her, and that to him it looked like she was somehow taking everyone's illness in to herself. To Merlin that sounded a little preposterous but as he watched everyone else slowly recover, he also watched Susanna slowly deteriorate right before his eyes.

On the morning of the fifth day the city began the 'Great Cleanup.' The council chamber was all but empty of patients so Susanna; who was the sole remaining patient was moved to Gaius' chambers (which also happened to be the medical wing,) and the council chamber was put back in order, as was the rest of the castle.

While this was going on Arthur, four of his knights and Merlin had ridden away from Camelot to gain intelligence on the army. They were gone for six hours, but when they returned their faces were grave.

The army had grown and it was moving. It was passing right through Mercia, leaving the land completely untouched but the second it had stepped from Mercia in to Camelot's land it started burning everything.

Even though the army was moving it was slow going which left Arthur and his father a little time to prepare a battle strategy. Uther had wanted to send everything out to meet them head on, but Arthur soon convinced him that doing so would be a massacre, so he proposed to fight them on two fronts. Out in the fields surrounding Camelot, and at the foot of the great city itself. The walls of Camelot were strong and surely they'd be strong enough to survive an assault. King Uther agreed and the battle plans were put under way.

During this time Merlin had checked on Susanna. He was happy to learn that she was now awake but disheartened to learn that Gaius believed she wouldn't last the week.

"All my life I knew I'd die someday…I just didn't think that it would be here in Camelot." Susanna whispered.

Her voice was soft and strained and it was clear that she was using up most of her strength to talk.

"Come on, you aren't going to die." Merlin said, putting on a brave face for her.

Susanna gave a weak yet knowing smile, "I know that look in your eyes, and I know what Gaius has said. I don't know how but I've done everything in my power to slow it down, but I can't keep it up anymore Merlin. I don't have the strength."

Merlin looked away to Susanna wouldn't see him cry but even so she saw one tear slowly track down his face.

"What…you crying for me now?" she asked, her tone light.

When Merlin looked back at her the tears were gone yet Susanna could still see the wetness on his cheeks.

"No! I…well…" Merlin stammered for a moment before he whispered, "yeah."

Susanna smiled again. It was sweet…in a way. She had only seen two other people cry for her, and they were her parents. She remembered them crying for her when she had to go to the emergency room to get stitches in her head. She remembered them crying for her when she hit her first home run in softball. And she remembered her mother and her brother crying with her as they slowly watched their father pass away. The words that she had thought that day slowly came to mind. _["Its okay daddy…you can go. You don't have to worry about us anymore. We'll be fine. You can go."]_ Not two seconds later Susanna remembered looking at the monitor as her father's heart stopped beating.

Susanna knew her mother was strong but within two years her mother had remarried to the man she was married to now. At first neither Susanna nor her brother Timothy had liked the man but after awhile they both became comfortable calling him dad.

"Are you okay?" Merlin had watched her space out and then start crying. When he spoke, Susanna snapped back to the present and wiped away her tears.

"I was just…thinking of my father…and how he died." She whispered.

"I thought you said he was alive." Merlin replied back.

"He's my step father; another person my mother married about two years after my real father died. I guess I just got used to calling my step father dad." Susanna said.

"Tell me about your dad." Merlin asked. All this talk about family had gotten him to thinking about his own father and how Balinor had died in his arms. Balinor had been a Dragonlord; the last one known to be alive, but when he had died he had passed that talent on to his son and now Merlin was the last Dragonlord; a little fact known to a very select few.

"He was hard to get along with sometimes. The times I remember the most was when he was yelling or threatening me. But even so I did still love him…even when I thought and sometimes said I didn't. When he went in to the hospital, I began to wonder if he would come out. He never did. He was there for three weeks and in that span of time his liver which was already bad, failed, his lungs failed and his kidneys failed. I remember the day he died. My brother and I barely arrived in time. His eyes were sliding shut, his oxygen mask was off. I heard him gasp a little and then there was nothing. I remember looking at the monitor, watching his heart rate. And then it stopped. His heart stopped. A moment later it started up again and kept going. It kept beating for another ten minutes so I thought perhaps he was waiting on something, so I took hold of his arm and I thought 'It's okay daddy…you can go. You don't have to worry about us anymore. We'll be fine. You can go.' Not two seconds later his heart stopped beating…and he was gone." Susanna said. As she had been speaking of her father's death she had started to cry again so Merlin embraced her, holding her tight and letting her cry in to his shoulder.

After a few minutes she seemed to calm down so Merlin released her and helped her to lie back down.

"Thank you…" Susanna murmured.

"It's alright. I know what it's like to lose a parent." Merlin said.

He watched Susanna nod her head in response to that and then look away from him.

Merlin was about to say something more to him when the door to Gaius's room opened up with a slight bang.

"Merlin! Come on!" Arthur declared. He was standing there in full fight or flight mode with his battle armor already on.

Merlin jumped up off of the cot, his heart pounding wildly now as he faced his friend. "What is it?" he asked.

"The army is almost upon us! They'll reach Camelot within four hours!" Arthur said as he then ran down the hall.

"I thought you said…!" Merlin called after him as he ran after Arthur.

"I know what I said Merlin, just come on!" Arthur yelled back at him.


	7. Attack on Camelot Part II

**-Chapter Six-**

Susanna lay in the cot mulling over a few things in her head. She remembered Gaius and Merlin talking about the area in which she was found and how the both of them believed she had come from the Isle of the Blessed.

"Maybe if I retrace my steps, get back there somehow I can go home." She muttered softly to herself. The second she thought that she shook her head. No, how could she leave Camelot, Arthur, Merlin and all the rest in the sort of trouble they were in now? She was weak and sick but she still had strength enough to fight.

Sitting up, Susanna weakly got up off of the cot. Her legs felt like jello and her stomach felt like the entrance to hell itself but she persevered. If Camelot fell that night then she would have no need to get back to the Isle of the Blessed.

"Just what do you think you are doing?"

Looking up Susanna saw Gaius giving her what she described as 'The Stink Eyebrow.'

"Gaius, Camelot is going to be attacked in four hours. I have to do something to help!" Susanna said, making her way towards the door.

However, Gaius stopped her and took hold of her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"In the state you are in you would never make it twenty feet. What you need right now is rest and plenty of it young lady." Gaius said, leading her back to her cot.

"But!" Susanna protested.

"Do I need to sedate you?" Gaius asked.

That shut her up. She shook her head no, relenting to Gaius' wisdom. Sitting back down she resisted the urge to glance towards the door. She had to get out of the infirmary, she just had to! But how?

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

When the attack was all but inevitable Gaius helped Susanna move to the make shift infirmary they had set up in the large dining room. The room wasn't as ornate as the dining room in which the King, Arthur and all of the other royals ate, no this dining room was plainer and something that saw daily usage.

They had just gotten everything and everyone settled when a knight came and informed them all that the battle had begun, with soldiers attacking Camelot's outer wall and front gate.

Within fifteen minutes wounded men started to pour in and soon enough Gaius had his hands full. So much so that Susanna managed to steal an old cloak, slip in to it and leave the room.

She had no idea where Arthur and Merlin would be and she was so weak that she didn't want to go out of her way to look for them. Slowly she made her way along the corridor, passing by soldiers and maids who thankfully paid no attention to her.

Reaching the door that led outside, Susanna took a deep breath and walked out. She could smell fires burning and smoke was everywhere. There were screams of anger, terror and pain that filled the air. Some were female screams and some were male.

Spying a sword that was near the door, she picked it up and held it tightly in her grasp.

She wasn't going to be caught unarmed! That was for sure!

Her first instinct was to run and jump in the middle of the battle but after a moment that feeling passed. Doing that would only get her hurt if not killed in a matter of moments. No, she had to think strategically. Her place was with Arthur and Merlin. Without the two of them she would have no chance of making it back to the Isle of the Blessed. Without them, Camelot would fall and Albion would never be.

"_Sire!"_

It was a voice on the wind. Glancing up on the castle wall Susanna could just barely make out Prince Arthur engaged in combat with what looked to be a burly man with huge, vein covered arms. The enemy was pouring over the wall and on to the castle roof. That was what they were doing; they were attacking Camelot on two fronts! One force was attacking the main gate while the other force was just going up and over!

Nodding her head Susanna turned to head back inside when she doubled over. She dropped the sword, wrapped her arms around her stomach and fell to her knees. Her stomach exploded with pain as if someone had smashed her gut with a sledgehammer.

She started to cough, bringing up specks of blood in the process.

_["No, not now!"] _Susanna thought to herself when she saw the blood on the ground. Biting back the pain, she gritted her teeth as she got hold of the sword once more and forced her way back on to her feet. This illness whatever the hell it was wasn't going to get the best of her!

With teeth gritted in pain and anger she made her way back inside and up the stone stairs. She heard the clank of swords coming down the main corridor and after glancing up at the top of the stairs she saw Merlin and Prince Arthur standing side-by-side, each deflecting blow after blow as an army of ten people pushed them backwards towards the throne room.

Staying hidden in the shadows she waited until they had passed before she climbed to the top of the stairs and stepped foot in to the hallway. Staying low and quiet she followed the men until they stepped foot in to the throne room. Since the room was bigger, Prince Arthur and Merlin were being ganged up on by eight of the ten men.

Since she was still crouched at the door, the other two men didn't see her. A grin came to her face when an idea came to mind.

Hiding behind the wall out of view, she stood up, took a deep breath and gave her best turkey call.

She heard the two men inside the throne room shift a little so she made the call again. When one of the men stuck his head out, Susanna grabbed the man's neck and threw him forward to smash against the far wall. The second man, seeing what happened to the first man came out of the throne room with his weapon at the ready.

Susanna who had literally climbed up on the throne room door launched herself down on the second man, bashing his head in to the ground. That was two down, eight to go!

Glancing in to the throne room she saw that Arthur and Merlin had taken care of four of the others that meant there was only four left…in that bunch at least.

Striding in to the room she walked right up to one of the men and tapped his arm. He turned around and that was all Susanna needed because one upper cut later and the man was lying on his back clutching his throat. Grinning, Susanna simply kicked the man in the head knocking him out.

By that time Merlin and Arthur had dispatched the other three.

"Not bad…for a girl." Arthur said, looking at the downed bodies of the enemy. Susanna sighed, shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Merlin on the other hand drew Susanna aside for a moment while Arthur was disarming the others.

"What are you doing here? You could have gotten seriously hurt!" Merlin said. He was hot, sweaty and tired already but the battle still wasn't over and while he still had breath in his body he had to help defend Camelot and defend Arthur.

"Arthur needs all the help he can get right now. I may be sick but I still have enough strength to fight. Besides…if Camelot falls I will never get back to the Isle of the Blessed." Susanna replied.

"Why would you want to go there?" Merlin asked.

"I heard you and Gaius talking a few days ago and I think you are right. That's where I went to. It was in that chamber that I got knocked in to this time in the first place. I think perhaps if I go back there might be a way for me to get home. In any case…we have more modern medicines. Maybe doctors over there can treat me. It's obvious that Gaius can't." Susanna said.

Merlin looked at her. In his heart he didn't want her to go but he knew she was right. If there was any chance of her being able to get back home where she belonged, they had to take it. He had to let her go.

"Okay. Once this army is defeated, I'll take you there." Merlin said.

Susanna smiled and nodded her head in thanks. She couldn't say the words because not two seconds later a tired and sweaty Sir Leon ran in to the room and his words sent a chill in to the air.

"They have broken through the main gate! The Lower Town is lost. They should reach the citadel in a matter of minutes!"

Arthur who had just finished disarming the men who had gotten inside, tightened his grip on his sword.

"They'll never take Camelot while I'm still alive!" he vowed.


	8. A Promise Kept

**-Chapter Seven-**

Susanna glanced towards the door to the throne room as Merlin went to help Prince Arthur and Leon close and bolt the heavy, wooden doors.

No sooner had they closed the doors that a loud thud sounded against it; the enemy forces had broken in and now they were literally outside the room trying to get in.

Prince Arthur was standing in front of his father's throne in a fighting stance with his sword held out in front of him. Merlin was standing one step behind him, a sword in his hand as well. Sir Leon was standing on Prince Arthur's other side, his sword held out in front of him as well.

Gripping her weapon tight, she moved to stand right beside Merlin who gave her the briefest of glances. It was happening. The vision that she had was coming to pass. They would all die and Camelot would fall. History would be re written and there was nothing that could be done about it.

It was then that she began to wonder. Since they were about to die was it now time to use her ability to help in the battle? What harm could it do? Since they were vastly outnumbered, the odds of her hurting one of her friends was slim to none.

"Whatever happens, I am glad that I am here with all of you." Susanna said, never taking her eyes off of the door.

Even though she didn't receive a verbal reply, she saw Merlin, Arthur and Leon nod their heads in reply. Just then the time for talk was over because the large wooden beam that held the throne door closed finally broke and the door was pushed inwards.

"FOR THE LOVE OF CAMELOT!" Arthur yelled, raising his sword a little more as he rushed forward.

Behind him Merlin and Leon yelled the same thing before rushing forward as well.

It was as if time stood still. Susanna could feel her heart racing in her chest as she heard the distant clank of swords. She watched Arthur parry, block and then slay the first of many men. She watched Merlin use his magic to trip another (unbeknownst to Arthur and Leon), before slamming his sword through that man's spine. Glancing to her right she saw a side door; she knew where it led to. It would lead down to an escape tunnel that would take her out of the city.

For the briefest of moments she thought about taking it, she even took one step towards it before she stopped. No. Running away like a coward wouldn't solve anything and if she were to die she figured that dying with people she actually cared about was the best way to go.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and turned to face her enemy. Opening her eyes she gritted her teeth and then rushed at the nearest enemy, her sword held out in front of her.

Gripping her sword tightly she brought it down on the man's helmet with such force that the helmet was knocked off the man's head. Swinging again she hit the man's shoulder plate even as she tried to trip the man up.

With her being only 5 foot 3 inches tall and the man she was fighting was close to 6 feet tall, she did have a little bit of an advantage.

The man swung his mace at her but Susanna managed to duck, feeling the metal fly over the place her head and neck had been only moments before.

Glancing at the man's left foot she concentrated for a moment. All of a sudden the man fell on to his back with a grunt. Smiling, Susanna took her sword and thrust it through the man's gut.

There was no time to relish this minor victory because as she killed the one, four others rushed at her. Taking her sword back she barely had time to block the blades as they came at her.

She blocked and blocked and blocked but even so the four men drove her backwards towards the back of the throne room. Concentrating she watched two of the men lose their grips on their swords as the metal weapons rose up and then turned on their masters. But even as she looked up at the swords, she missed one man sneaking up behind her.

The man brought his sword down across her back. Since she wasn't wearing any chain mail, the sword pierced through her skin, dropping her like a sack of potatoes. As she hit the floor her back exploded with pain so great that stars were swimming in her field of vision.

Shaking, she just had time to glance up at the man who had hit her just as he brought his sword tip down to pierce her chest. She screamed. The pain was immense; more so than she had ever felt before. The blade was twisted around, damaging and destroying organs, muscle and tissue before it was yanked out.

As she lay there, darkness once again closing in around her she thought that she could barely hear the blow of a horn in the distance. This was her last thought as she slowly lost consciousness.

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

The horn was loud and strong as it pierced the air. Everyone who heard it stopped fighting.

Sir Leon who had just clamored back to his feet after being knocked down remarked, "The horn of Mercia!"

He had heard the battle cry of the Mercian troops before so when he heard it again he could easily identify it.

"Lord Bayard? Why is he attacking?" Arthur asked, eyes never leaving the men he had been fighting only moments before.

After hearing the horn, Merlin had gone to the nearest window and looked out, a smile soon coming to his face.

"He's not attacking Camelot. His troops are fighting those who were attacking us!" Merlin said.

The throne room was quiet but seconds later all hell broke loose as the fight continued on. Arthur, Leon and Merlin continued their efforts for a good twenty minutes more before it became clear to the others that the battle had been lost. A general retreat was called and within another five minutes the throne room was empty save for Prince Arthur who was bloodied, bruised and tired, Sir Leon who had also sustained a few injuries and Merlin who had cut his right arm.

Prince Arthur and Sir Leon ran after those that had left the throne room. They wanted to press this advantage and not give their enemy a chance to double back.

Merlin had been about to follow after Arthur when he glanced towards the back corner. His eyes fell on a body that he quickly recognized.

"No…!" He whispered. Rushing over he dropped down next to Susanna. He saw the wounds she had received and he noticed how much blood she had lost and he knew these wounds, along with the illness she already had…she didn't have long to live.

"Did we win?"

Merlin looked in to Susanna's face and saw her blue eyes looking back up at him.

"Yes. Lord Bayard and his troops…" Merlin couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't know what else to say so he said nothing.

"Hey…it's okay…" Susanna whispered, studying Merlin's face.

When he had first touched her that had been enough to call her back from the darkness. Now as she studied his face; noting his tear filled eyes, it was as if she had been stabbed all over again.

"Please don't cry for me Merlin. I am nothing to you; certainly not a part of your destiny. Arthur is your destiny; Albion is your destiny. I am not going to stand in the way of that. I die happy Merlin; happy that you, Arthur and Camelot survived and knowing that you will carry on." Susanna said.

"Don't you do that. Don't you dare say goodbye. I made a promise to you and I am going to keep it." Merlin said his voice shaky.

Raising his hand a little Merlin closed his eyes and said, "Gestepe hole! Þurhhæle."

Opening his eyes the glowed a brilliant gold for a moment. He looked down at Susanna who looked exactly the same if not a bit worse.

"Merlin…" Susanna whispered, but Merlin ignored her as he tried again.

He closed his eyes once more and said, "Licsar ge staðol nu."

He opened his eyes which glowed a brilliant gold once more. Once more he looked down at Susanna and then at her injuries. Her wounds had stopped bleeding but that was about it.

"Merlin…" Susanna tried again, "forget about your promise, its okay…really. I'd never make it to the Isle of the Blessed now anyway. Just…promise me you'll look after Arthur okay? Make sure he doesn't do something stupid and get himself killed."

Even though he didn't want to Merlin had to smile at that. He could feel a few tears running down his cheeks but this time he didn't move to wipe them away.

"Please…" he murmured.

"Merlin," Susanna whispered, "just let me go."

Merlin knew what she was asking; for him to mentally let her go; let her die but that was something he just couldn't do.

"I can't…I can't do that." He murmured, making a decision. Smoothly he picked her up in his arms before standing up tall.

Susanna groaned in obvious pain as she fought to stay awake.

"Why?" she whispered.

At first Merlin ignored the question as he moved towards the open door of the throne room, stepping over the bodies of the fallen as he went.

After a few minutes he reached the door that let outside the citadel. Outside he saw Prince Arthur, Sir Leon, a few other knights as well as Lord Bayard and a few of his people conversing.

Looking down at Susanna who he saw was still studying his face, waiting for an answer, he swallowed and adjusted his grip on her.

"Because…I love you." He whispered to her. His response was loud enough so that she could hear it but not loud enough where the others could hear it.

He hadn't wanted to admit that he loved and cared for her because in his heart he felt as if he were betraying Freya but he had known that he had needed to say it. Looking down at Susanna's face he saw that she hadn't been expecting that response at all. Thankfully she remained quiet as Merlin approached the small group ahead.

"Thank you once again Lord Bayard, your assistance today was much needed and appreciated. I do not know how we will ever be able to repay you for helping to save Camelot." Arthur said.

He and Sir Leon had chased the horde outside but by that time Lord Bayard's men had already arrived and it had become a free for all.

Now the city as well as the citadel was free of the army and there was nothing left to do but clean up.

"We may have been enemies once, Prince Arthur but not anymore. I didn't want to see Camelot fall any more than you did, and besides this was the only way to prove to you that those men were not from Mercia. They had crossed our borders in secret and by the time we discovered them they had already passed through and had entered your lands." Lord Bayard explained.

Prince Arthur nodded his head a little as Lord Bayard stepped down off of his horse.

"But, perhaps now is not the time for explanations. I think now is the time for clean up and tending to the wounded." Lord Bayard said.

The way he said that caused Arthur to look behind him. He saw Merlin, the body of someone in his arms.

As Merlin got closer, Arthur saw who it was that he was carrying.

"I have to get her to the Isle of the Blessed." Merlin said almost as if he were on autopilot.

"The Isle…? Merlin don't be ridiculous. Gaius is…" Prince Arthur began yet Merlin fixed him with a half angry half desperate look.

"I promised her!" he shot back.

Prince Arthur would have disciplined Merlin for disagreeing with him in public but when he saw the face of his man servant he knew that now was not the time for disciplining.

Merlin was silent as he waited for Arthur to reprimand him. He had known that what he had done was wrong but he couldn't help himself. He had made a promise and by God he was going to keep it!

Glancing at Sir Leon Arthur said, "Select four knights. We ride for the Isle of the Blessed when the horses are saddled."

As Sir Leon bowed and moved off, Arthur looked at Merlin who despite the situation had a grin on his face.

"Well? Saddle the horses!" Arthur said to him.

Nodding, Merlin took off for the stables at a run, Susanna still in his arms.


	9. A Choice Is Made

Author's Note: This chapter is really A/U heavy with his characters and dialog. Also it wasn't my original intent to be so 'romantically laden' but hey, it works right? Anyway…back to the story!

**-Chapter Eight-**

Even though it only took two days to get to the Isle of the Blessed, it seemed to take longer. Merlin has used all of the healing spells he knew to keep Susanna alive long enough to get there and while he had hoped his healing spells would do more to actually cure her, he was saddened when they didn't.

"Is that it?"

That was Prince Arthur who had spoken. They had arrived at the misty shore; an island was in the middle of the lake, half covered in mist. Susanna who was in Merlin's arms, weakly turned her head to look. The building that stood there was a mirror image of what she remembered.

"Yes…that's it…" she murmured. Her voice was so low that Merlin had to repeat it to Arthur.

Spying a wooden boat, Merlin, Arthur, Sir Leon and two knights walked over to it. Because the boat was so small only Merlin, Arthur, Sir Leon and one knight could fit in it. Because of this it was Sir Leon and the extra knight who paddled over to the island while Merlin sat in the middle of the boat, still holding on to Susanna.

When they reached the island itself they all piled out of the boat and climbed the stone steps to enter the island itself. Pieces of stone and dead leaves were everywhere. Statues of unknown kings could be seen as well as what looked to be grave markers of some kind.

Susanna could feel this mist hitting her face. It was cold, reminding her of the cold winters back in the States.

She paid attention to the area they were walking in and after a few minutes she spotted the steps that led down in to the chamber.

"There…" she whispered to Merlin.

Since Merlin was behind the group, he veered towards the stairs without telling anyone but as he reached the steps his foot hit a dry leaf which crackled loud enough for Prince Arthur to look behind him.

"Merlin?" he asked.

Merlin grimaced a little at himself but said, "Down here!" as he descended the stairs. He didn't want Arthur and the others to follow him because if Susanna did manage to find a way back to her own time then Arthur would have to be told that she had been from the future, and that was not exactly something he looked forward to telling.

Entering in to the darkened chamber Merlin spied a torch that was balanced in a wall scone.

"Leohtbora." Merlin said. His eyes glowed a brilliant gold as the torch suddenly caught on fire and started to burn.

Moments later Arthur and Sir Leon entered the chamber, their swords at the ready.

"So…why exactly are we here?" Prince Arthur asked. The question had been bugging him ever since they had left Camelot. He didn't really want to leave Camelot in the first place, especially so soon after the attack but Merlin was his friend and he wasn't going to let Merlin face danger alone.

"He has come, as you all have come…to send her home."

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

Arthur and Sir Leon whirled around to face the voice that had spoken. In the shadows there was a figure wearing a silver, sparkling robe. Slowly the figure walked up until he was illuminated by the single, lit torch.

The man was old, probably in his 80's. He had silver hair, blue eyes and a small silver beard that went a little past his chin.

"Identify yourself!" Arthur ordered, his sword trained on the newcomer.

The old man looked at Arthur for a moment before he spoke something in an ancient tongue. Moments later Arthur and Sir Leon's swords glowed.

"Aaarrghhh!" Arthur yelled, dropping the sword as his gloves started to smoke. Sir Leon too was forced to drop his own sword when the heat became too much to handle.

"You have no need for weapons or violence here." The old man said.

"Who are you?" Prince Arthur demanded to know.

The old man looked at him once more before he reached up and removed the hood from his head.

"I am Kalson." The man said.

"Sorcerer!" Arthur accused.

"Yes…and no. I am many things to many people. Some call me a sorcerer or a wizard; warlock to others, healer to yet others. I am a traveler. My kind has been in existence since time began." Kalson said.

"If that is true then why have we not seen you before?" Arthur asked anger clear in his voice.

"It is one of our most sacred laws not to meddle in the affairs of mortals. This law had been untested and unchallenged…until creatures of darkness discovered our existence and sought to destroy us. We fought back with violence which seemed to be the only method of communication mortals understood. We fought back yet many died on both sides. Finally we were forced to 'go underground' as you mortals say; disappear without a trace. Some of our kind were captured before we could flee. A great sorceress by the name of Nimueh captured one of our kind. She beat him and tortured his mind and body but when she was destroyed the bonds that held Shawnon from returning to us were broken." Kalson said.

"That still doesn't answer the question as to why you are here!" Arthur said.

Kalson sighed, straightened his shoulders and then clapped his hands once. A brilliant white light flooded the room for a second and once it dissipated, Arthur and Sir Leon were sprawled out on the floor unconscious.

"They are alright Emrys." Kalson said when Merlin automatically took a step towards Arthur, "They will awaken when the task at hand is finished."

"Why did you do that?" Merlin asked.

"They do not understand things the way we do; they do not understand the way of magic." Kalson said.

His arms getting tired, Merlin moved over to a smooth flat bolder and gently laid Susanna down on it.

Susanna had been silent yet watchful during the entire altercation, even though she found it harder and harder to stay awake.

Wordlessly she watched Kalson reached in to his pocket and withdraw a bag. To her the bag looked strangely familiar.

"Hey! That…" she murmured, gesturing towards the bag in the man's hand.

"Yes, this is the same bag that you found in this very chamber, it is the same bag which Gaius took from you when you arrived in Camelot." Kalson said.

"But…how…?" Susanna whispered, not understanding.

"I can go many places with just a thought young one. It was only too easy to retrieve this with no one seeing me. This bag was stolen by Nimueh; its contents she tried to change and use to her own benefit. She did not understand that her magic could never fully contend with ours." Kalson said.

"It…only had dust…" Susanna whispered.

"To the untrained and unknowing it would appear that way. The Ashra is not to be taken lightly; its powers are great. You yourself witnessed what it could do." Kalson replied.

"The light…the noise…" Susanna whispered.

"Yes, and no. While the Ashra did aid in the creation of the portal it was the spell you yourself accidentally conjured that led to your arrival in this time. However the Ashra was directly responsible for your unexpected magical talent." Kalson said.

Merlin looked confused. "Are you saying it gave her the ability to use magic?" he asked.

Kalson looked at him and nodded his head once.

"When she opened up the bag to look at what it contained, she got a tiny fragment of the Ashra on her fingers. It was such a miniscule amount that it went unnoticed. Then she took the bag, pocketed it and said the spell. It was the Ashra's close proximity to her that made the portal as powerful as it was, and it was what allowed her to cross over if you will, into your time." Kalson said.

He waved his right hand a little and suddenly the pedestal seemed to come alive with images that reflected off the walls. Merlin didn't understand what he was seeing. There was a middle aged lady with fair colored hair standing next to a taller yet younger male with blond hair. The two of them seemed to be searching for something. Next he saw the same two people standing over a grave stone. The lady was crying and the boy was trying hard not to.

"Mom…Tim…!" Susanna whispered, recognizing the people. She was so tired and weak that all she wanted to do was close her eyes and fall asleep but she knew if she did that then she would never wake up, so she fought hard against the darkness that threatened to claim her mind.

"Now we come to it," Kalson began, "under normal circumstances I would just send her back but since you destroyed Nimueh, Emrys, I will now offer a choice. I can heal the girl and send her back. If this is done she will have no memory of what has transpired here; she will think it as nothing more than a dream. She will not retain her magical abilities, she will merely live out the rest of her life as she would have had she never come to this time."

"Or?" Merlin asked.

"Or I can heal her and she can remain here in this time. If this is chosen she will retain her magical abilities but she will never again be allowed or be able to return to her own time. Her memories of it will fade and be forgotten and all she will know of her past life is the lie that she told your Prince Arthur in the beginning." Kalson said, folding his arms.

Merlin didn't know what to say for a moment. He wanted her to stay but he knew that she didn't belong in this time. He was doing his best not to appear weak so when he started to tear up a little he turned away.

"Shouldn't it be my decision? Do I not have a choice over my own fate?" Susanna whispered.

Wiping his face Merlin walked over to her side and knelt down till he was at eye level with her.

"You have to go home." He told her, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Merlin, all the time I've been here in your time I have thought of nothing else but going home, but now that it comes down to it, I realize I have been wanting the wrong thing. I now know what I do want." Susanna whispered.

"What's that?" Merlin asked.

"What I want…more than anything…is to stay here with you." Susanna replied.

"Why? You know you don't belong here in this time anymore than I belong in yours." Merlin said.

"I want to stay because…I love you." Susanna whispered. She gently raised a hand and rested it on Merlin's cheek.

When Susanna rested her cold hand on his cheek Merlin closed his eyes and lowered his head. He knew he couldn't send her away. Consequences be damned, he just couldn't.

"Is this your choice?" Kalson asked.

Merlin looked down at Susanna and saw her nod her head, so he looked up at Kalson and said, "Yes, I want her to stay."

"So be it." Kalson said.

He clapped his hands and as he drew them apart a brilliant white light flooded the chamber. It was so brilliant that Merlin fell flat on his back as he fought to shield his eyes. Even as he thrust his arm over his eyes he could still see the light.

His head started to pound as a wave of dizziness fell over him. Finally he couldn't take it any more and he passed out.


	10. Epilogue and Authors Note

**-Epilogue-**

The ride back to Camelot was made in relative silence save for Arthur who was saying something about wanting to find Kalson the sorcerer. It was quite obvious to Merlin that Arthur didn't like being bested by an old man, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

When he had woken up the chamber was dark save for the single lit torch. Arthur and Sir Leon had still been unconscious but Susanna had been sitting up against the rock wall looking as if nothing had ever happened.

"Where's Kalson?" Merlin had asked.

"Gone. One minute he was here and the next…he was just gone." Susanna replied.

"How are you feeling?" Merlin asked.

"Fine…better than fine actually. For the first time in a long time I feel…normal." Susanna had replied.

Merlin smiled a little. He was glad that her secret was still safe. Arthur and Sir Leon hadn't remembered a thing Kalson said other than his name. While he was glad that Susanna had stayed, he was still unsure as to what would happen next. How would his destiny change? For the better? For the worse? Would Susanna help in uniting Albion or would she help to bring about its destruction? So many questions and no direct answer to those questions.

What Merlin knew without a shadow of a doubt was that he loved her and she loved him but he also felt a little guilty, like he was betraying Freya. He still had feelings for her but she was dead, she had died in his arms. Still, a piece of Merlin felt that she was still alive somewhere.

"Are you okay?"

Merlin glanced to his left to see that Susanna was riding beside him. She had been riding behind him but obviously she had sped up so she could talk to him.

"Just thinking." Merlin replied.

"About what?" Susanna asked.

"A lot of things. While I'm glad you stayed, why did you not return home when you had the chance? I thought that was what you wanted." Merlin asked.

"I thought that's what I wanted too, but when it came time to make my choice I realized one thing. My choice had already been made. You kept saying I didn't belong here in this time, but I realized…I do belong here. I belong with you." Susanna replied.

Merlin could tell that she was speaking from the heart, still his only reply was "I know."

"If you two are quite through with your romantic little talk…"

Both Merlin and Susanna froze and looked ahead to see Arthur watching the both of them.

Merlin's face flushed beet red while Susanna's face paled as she lowered her head a little.

"When we get back the both of you can clean my room, polish and repair my armor, make my bed, tend to my horses, walk, feed and water my dogs, wash my clothes, clean my boots and bring me my dinner." Arthur said a tiny chuckle in his voice.

"The both of us? But…Susanna isn't a member of the royal household." Merlin said.

"She is now!" Arthur shot back.

Susanna had placed her right hand over her mouth so no one could see her silently laughing at Merlin's 'deer in the headlight' facial expression.

Regaining her composure she lowered her hand and replied in unison with Merlin, "Yes, sire."

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

It was 2012. Susanna had been missing for four months and only yesterday the search had finally been called off. Marcia her son Timothy and her husband Jonathan were preparing to go back home to the United States without their daughter. Cassie, the family dog who had been Susanna's pride and joy had been truly upset when her master disappeared.

Cassie, the half beagle, half basset, half blue-heeler mix had run off during the night, only to be found by Marcia and Tim on the shore of a mist covered lake. Seeing that the dog wanted to go to the ruins that was situated in the middle of the lake, Tim and Marcia took the lone wooden boat out there.

When the boat reached the landing, Cassie had jumped out and run up the wooden stairs. Tim and Marcia had called after her but she didn't listen. The dog sniffed the ground constantly, smelling the scent of her master. She followed the scent down a flight of stone steps and in to a darkened chamber. Still sniffing, Cassie ran her nose along the ground picking up dirt, stone and some sort of material she couldn't identify. All of a sudden a light appeared around the dog and she vanished.

_MERLINMERLINMERLIN_

There it was; Camelot. After being gone for four days for everyone riding in it looked like a sight for sore eyes. Merlin and Susanna had done nothing but talk amongst themselves and Sir Leon and Arthur had done nothing but watch and listen.

"I have never seen him take to anyone like that before." Sir Leon said, gesturing in Merlin's direction.

"I haven't either. It's a little strange." Arthur said.

"Do you mean to tell me sire that you don't believe in love at first sight?" Sir Leon asked.

Arthur gave Sir Leon a look but didn't answer the question. Instead he rolled his eyes and spurred his horse to go faster.

All of a sudden a sound caused Arthur to hold his hand up and stop the procession.

"What is that?" he asked, looking behind him.

As everyone drew their horses in to a halt, they all quieted down to see if they could hear what Arthur was hearing.

At first there was nothing and then a piercing bark filled the air.

"It's not a wolf." Sir Leon said. That much was clear.

"It sounds more like a dog." Merlin commented, glancing behind him.

The barking drew nearer until finally a form could be seen running towards them. As it drew nearer the features of the animal became clearer.

It definitely was a dog. It had the face of a beagle, the long low body of a basset and the general coloring of a blue heeler.

"It's a…dog!" Sir Leon said in an almost quizzical tone of voice.

"Thanks for that statement but why is it following us?" Arthur asked.

Sir Leon shook his head in response. As the dog drew nearer it began to bark at the horses, startling them.

Arthur's horse reared back in fright, dumping the Prince on to the ground with a thud.

Groaning, Arthur sat up and reached for his sword. All the while Sir Leon, Merlin and Susanna were still seated on their horses watching the spectacle. Finally, the dog turned and looked up at Susanna, its tail wagging madly.

"Cassie…?" Susanna whispered, hardly daring to believe it. Slowly a smile came to her face as she literally jumped off of her horse and fell down on to her knees. "Cassie!" she called out.

The dog ran up to her, jumped on her and proceeded to lick her face, her tail still wagging like mad.

"I take it…you know this creature?" Arthur asked, lowering his hand away from his sword.

Susanna, a smile still on her face sat up off of the ground from where Cassie had knocked her down.

"I do. She's my dog. Her name's Cassie." Susanna replied.

Arthur watched Cassie for a moment, trying to judge whether he should just run her through or not. Finally he decided not to. It was plain to see that Susanna loved the creature and it was plain to see that the creature shared that love for its master.

"Alright, she can stay." Arthur said as he climbed back on his horse, "just don't let her go spooking my horse again!"

Smiling, Susanna picked up the 40 pound animal and handed her to Merlin. Once she was back on her horse, the procession continued on back towards Camelot.

When they were moving again, Merlin passed the dog over to Susanna.

"So, Cassie is from the future too?" Merlin whispered to Susanna.

Susanna nodded her head as she ran her fingers through Cassie's smooth coat.

"Then how did she get here?" Merlin asked.

"I don't…" Susanna began before something caused her to look towards the trees. There, barely visible was Kalson, who raised a hand of greeting towards them.

"Does that answer your question?" Susanna whispered back, gesturing towards the man. Merlin looked and saw the man before he smiled a little. The day had started out in a weird manner but it had ended on a high note and in Merlin's mind that's the way it should be.

**-THE END-**

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading and reviewing this story. I may return with a sequel to this at some later date but for now I rest. Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you did enjoy this story!


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